Fohth



No. 6|3,987. Patented Nov. 8, I898. .W. E. GABFURTH.

COAL. CUTTING MACHINE.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

WVILLIAM EDWARD GARFORTH, OF ALTOFTS, ENGLAND.

COAL-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 613,987, dated November8, 1898.

Application filed August 6, 1898. Serial No. 687,959. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD GAR- FORTH, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Altofts, in the county of York,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Outting Machines, (for which I have made application and filedprovisional specification for Letters Patent in Great Britain andIreland bearing date November 12, 1897, and numbered 26,394,) of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to obviate or lessen the disadvantagewhich occurs with coal-cutting machines of the cutter-wheel type whenworking in highly-inclined seams with the working face to the rise sideof the machine, in that the weight of the machine acting in thedirection to the dip side tends to cause the machine and thecutter-wheel to gradually work away from the coal-face and to lessen thedepth of the undercut.

I attain the object of my invention by means of a special constructionof the bracket employed for carrying the center or journal of thecutter-wheel from one of the sides of the machine, which construction isillustrated 111- Figure 1 in plan and in Fig. 2 in section on line A Bof Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line C D of Fig. 1 of theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. In Fig. 1the bracket is shown broken away on one side, and in Fig. 2 acrosssection of the cutter-wheel rim is shown.

a indicates one of the side frames of the coal cutting machine, to whichside the cutter-wheel bracket is attached. The cutter-wheel bracketshown comprises these portions-to wit, an approximately triangularportion 1), having the bearing 0 for the center or journal of thecutter-wheel formed in it toward the apex, and a vertical rectangularportion d, which abuts against the side frame a of the machine. Boththese parts of the bracket run into each other with a curved portion f.

g is an opening formed in the curved portion f to admit the pinionengaging the teeth h of and driving the cutter-wheel t, andj is asmaller continuation of this opening to admit the shaft on which theaforesaid pinion is mounted,

Now my invention consists in forming the triangular portion b at such aninclination that while the machine is kept in a horizontal position-thatis, with the side frame 6 vertical-the plane of the portion 1) of thebracket and that of the cutter-wheel are approximately parallel to theplane of the coalseam. For example, the drawings show a bracket'suitablefor coal-cutting in a seam having an inclination of about twenty-fivedegrees.

Of course machines will be made with the parts I) at various angles inorder that such may be chosen for each coal-seam as will suit itsprevailing dip. Mathematical exactness will not always be possible; butas a rule the approximation may be made sufliciently close without theneed to tilt the machine.

In the case of other coal-cutters the bracket and cutter-wheel areapproximately horizontal when the machine is horizontal, andconsequently to cut in an inclined seam with such machines the machineitself must be tilted and one rail laid at a higher level than theother, so that the weight of the machine tends to draw the machine andcutter-wheel away from the coal-face, a tendency which is much assistedby the vibration of the machine itself when working. By-forming theportion 1) of the bracket inclined to the portion d and making a properselection of the machine with regard to the inclination of the coal-seamthis tendency and the disadvantages arising therefrom are avoided.

In most machines the portions 1) and d of the bracket run into oneanother at a right angle, being strengthened or supported at the cornerby ribs. I do not therefore limit my invention of inclining thetriangular portion 1) to the vertical portion d to brackets such as Ihave above described and illustrated; but such brackets have theadvantage that the machine can be laid closer to the coal-face and agreater depth of undercut obtained. Further, in the case of some wheelcoal-cutting machines, especially such as are electrically driven, wherethe gearing does not project below the frame of the machine, thecutter-wheel bracket is formed with a hori* zontal portion passingbeneath and by which it is attached to the frame of the machine, and Ido not therefore limit my invention to such cases as previouslydescribed, where the bracket is attached to the machine by a verticalportion; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. Incoal-cutting machines the combination of an approximately triangularplate I) having about its apex the bearing for the center or journal ofthe cutter-wheel with a plate at attached to the machine both formed inone piece and with the triangular plate or portion 1) inclined to theplate or portion 01 in order that when the machine is horizontal theinclination of the plate I) may approximate that of the coal-seam inwhich the machine is to be employed substantially as set forth.

2. In the cutter-wheel brackets of coal-cut- WILLIAM EDWARD GARFORTII.

WVitnesses: v

CHAS. GILLIARD, FRED BARKER.

